193-396.
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193-396. First Episode. 193- 283. First Scene: Prometheus and the Coryphaeus. The scholiast says:
τὴν
ὑπόθεσιν (that is, the expo- sition of the events supposed to pre- cede the opening of the play)
βουλό-
μενος
διδάξαι,
τὸ
περίεργον (curiosity)
τοῦ
γυναικώδους
ήθους
προσέλαβεν (availed himself of, as a motive).
οὐκ
ἂν
γὰρ
ὁ
᾿Ὠκεανds (who enters later)
ἠξίωσεν
ἐρωτῆσαι
εἰδώς. The curiosity of the chorus is a natural conse- quence of their awakened sympathy. Still it is to be observed that Prome- theus on his part is moved to tell his story by the longing to unburden his heart to sympathizing friends (see 198). He needs only the request in order to comply at once. - The Pro- logue and this first scene of the first episode constitute the first act of the drama, which expounds the situation and prepares the way for the follow- ing dramatic development.
284-396.
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284-396. Second Scene of the First Episode. Oceanus, father of the Oceanids, enters (from the right), mounted upon a winged steed
(τετρασκελής
οἰωνός 395) like 285.
290 Pegasus. The scholiast understands a griffin, because of this word
οἰωνός, but
sea-gods, in older Greek art, are often seen riding on hippocamps or
sea-horses. The machine here used was the
αἰώρημα, a sort of crane with hanging ropes, by which persons could be swung aloft, moved through the air, and let down again. The scholiast remarks,
καιρὸν
δίδωσι
τῷ
χορῷ
καθήκασθαι
(καθιμᾶσθαι ?)
τῆς
μηχανῆς
᾿Ὠκεανὸς
ἐλθών·
ὑπερβολῇ
δὲ
ἐχρήσατο,
ὅπου
γε
Ὅμηρος
οὐκ
εἰσήγα-
γεν
᾿Ὠκεανὸν
εἰς
τὸν
σύλλογον
τῶν
θεῶν (on this cp. Il. xx. 7
οὔτε
τις
οὖν
Ποταμῶν
ἀπέην
νόσφ᾽
᾿Ὠκεανοῖο). The anapaests of Oceanus accompany the descent of the chorus from their chariot into the orchestra. - This scene and the second episode form the second act, the beginning of the action which leads to the catastrophe. See on 307 and 436.
387.
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387.
σὸς
λόγος: not the last speech only, but the tenor of the whole col- loquy.
388.
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388.
γάρ: yes, for, implying as- sent to what precedes. -
θρήνος:
ὁ
οἶκτος, Schol.
ούμός : possessive pronoun standing for the objective genitive
(ἐμοῦ). Cp. Pers. 699
τὴν
ἐμὴν
αἰδῶ
μεθείς. G. 147,
Ν. 1;
Η. 694.
389.
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389.
νέον: see on 35. -
ἕδρας: on this use of the cognate accusative see Krüger II. § 46, 6, 2.
391.
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391 f. Oceanus betrays by this answer the hopeless difference of sentiment between him and Prome- theus; hence the emphatic rejoinder
στέλλου,
κόμιζε,
σῴζε. For the asyn- deton see on 56, and cp. 937 below, and Soph. El. 632
ἐῶ,
κελεύω,
θῦε.
393.
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393.
ὁρμωμένῳ . . .
λόγον: equiva- lent in sense to
ὁρμωμένῳ
μοι
ἐθώυξας
ὁρμᾶσθαι, that is to say, "I needed not your bidding." Cp. 277. Oceanus speaks with
ill-concealed vexation. These and the following words further hint at the mode of his departure.
